Category: REVIEWS

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before is an enchanting romantic comedy that pays homage to the classic 90’s teen movie spirit and it tinted with a millennial touch for 21st century viewers.With a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and with star studded performances, it is no surprise that Netflix’s highest rated teen comedy is an eye candy for all to enjoy, any day and time of the week.The film is an adaptation of New York Time’s bestseller novel of the same name, by author Jenny Han who decreed that Lara Jean’s role was to be played by an Asian-American.Director Susan Johnson uses some of that “old love magic” with its usual heart-melting archetypes and executes it with an aura of unabashedsweetness and affection, which explains the huge cult fanbase.

The film revolves around Lara Jean (Lana Candor), a Korean-American 16 year old with an addition to romance novels and who chooses to hide her feelings of love in letters to her crushes.Her sense of quirkiness and comic despair is displayed effectively when circumstances “forces” her to date Peter Kavinsky( Noh Centineo), the most popular boy in school. Evantually through their bonding over respective missing parents and pop culture, an inevitable romance develops which makes watchers feel comfortable and sparky at the same time.

Overall, this film is a refuge from real-world love and provides a candy-tinted alternative in a way that is surprisingly fresh and lovable.To immerse yourself in such a film is to be profoundly pure of heart and immerse yourself in the warmth of utopic millennial love.

2018 has seen the rise of Bollywood films showcasing the struggles of the “common man” in a socio-economic environment and Sui Dhaaga follows that wave, showcasing us a promising narrative of hope and success.The film revolves around Mauji (Varun Dhawan) and his mediocre existence as he juggles the needs of his bosses and his dysfunctional yet loving family( resentful father, ailing mother, quiet wife etc) but in the sarcastic phrase of Mauji, “Sab Bhadiya Hai” ( All is well). A confrontational scene with his employers kickstarts Mauji’s journey to realise his self-worth in the fashion world and the pinnacle of his success, with his wife Mamta (Anushka Sharma) being the Sui (sewing pin) to his Dhaaga( Thread).

The film boasts a large supporting cast with a handful of characters that show exceptional talent and everlasting screenplay performance. Varun Dhawan has diligently shone in his role as Mauji, fulfilling it with an authenticity that is credible. Raghubir Yadav also portrays the role of a typical taunting Indian father with great gusto, with his one-liners guaranteed to make you chuckle your 2 hours away.The performance to watch out for however is Anushka Sharma as Mamta which blew my mind away due to the simplicity of her character with her simple sari and minimal makeup creating the most dynamic impact out of all the characters. She prays true homage to the millions of women who live life like her in India everyday.

Director Sharat Katariya has used simple conflicts and solutions to seamlessly portray a narrative that is deeply moving and passionate. The first half is outstanding as he manages to establish the characters and their issues in a depth that makes the watcher feel as though they are present with humour and songs lending gravitas to the story.The second half however was a let-down due to the rushed climax and increased predictability, with a lack of explanation for Mauji’s excellence in the craft of tailoring.

Overall Sui Dhaaga is a convincing story that is relatable to all and acts as an inspiration to all entrepreneurs in the fashion industry. The minor patches in the narrative have managed to been covered by the exceptional performance of the large cast and is a promising film to watch.

102 Not Out is a impeccable film with a unique and refreshing concept around relationships making it a fun summer family film to watch, with lessons that are everlasting and can relate to any age group watching.The narrative revolves around the father-son bond of 102-year-old Dattatraya Vakharia (Amitabh Bachchan) who decides that an old age home is the best option for his 75-year-old son Babulal (Rishi Kapoor), who’s melancholic attitude towards living life mat act as a hindrance in Dattatraya’s quest to being the longest living human.It is a film embedded with dry humour and pure simplicity, which Director Umesh Shukla has used as his strengths to create a film that is comic as well as out of the box from a traditional Bollywood film with relationships.

The stellar performances by veteran actors Amitabh Bachan and Rishi Kapoor, a result of their illustrious career spanning half a century gives them the tools and professionalism to create a sensational film that will no doubt add a unique feather to their acting caps. It is hard not to fall in love with the zesty centenarian played by Amitabh Bachan who truly proves that age is just a number in comparison to his grumpy son played by Rishi Kapoor, who’s journey in the narrative makes us realise that the true key to life is to be steadfast and practical, with sprinkles of zest and excitement.Their timeless performances plays ode to the olden days, with a charm that bring nostalgia and helps us to relive watching them in the olden days.Young Jimit also gives a classic performance and is the only one to pull off the Gujurati in the dialogues.Whilst the narrative lead the backstory and depth that would make the film more personal to the watcher, the stellar performances prevent the 101-minute film from going stale.

Director Umesh Shukla has overall managed to create a light and breezy film that is best enjoyed with those you love, with its unique portrayal of relationships reminding us that dysfunctional relationships can be healthy and not overbearing as well.It also teaches us that age is only just a number and that the way we choose to approach life is a result of our thinking.

The announcement of a movie adaptation of the book titled “Crazy Rich Asian” by author Kevin Kwan sparked a worldwide media frenzy for it was going to be the first Hollywood film in a quarter of a century to have a cast that was mostly Asian, backdropped against an Asian oriented romantic comedy.The reception that this film would have would also impact Asian and Asian-American artists across all genres and will certainly have a grave impact on the future of Asian-oriented productions across Hollywood.It was inspiring to see the support that was given to this film, with full cinemas across Singapore for 5 days in a row.Furthermore, romantic comedies in the current film industry aren’t valued relative to large budget films and action films, thus proving that odds were against this film’s success.

Easily proving to be one of the best films of 2018, Jon.M.Chu weaves together characters that are funny, gorgeous and set in fancy locations thus proving that Hollywood does have room for more Asian oriented stories.The movie begins with the protagonist Rachel Chu( Constance Wu),a Chinese-American NYU economics professor who decides that an ideal spring break would be to travel with boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) to the Lion City in order to celebrate his best friend’s wedding.Rachel is unaware that Nick comes from the famous “Young” family, the wealthiest developers of Singapore, an “old money” family that had emigrated from China a few centuries earlier.This is just the beginning of an eye-popping spectacle entered round the wedding of the century and it contains all the elements of a traditional romantic comedy, a film of laughter, tears and love.

There is also the growth of the heroine Rachel, which is unlike traditional romantic comedies as we get to see millennial damsel that can love and be independent as well as stand her morals when thrust into a society of glamour, lust and greed.

I definitely recommend this film and hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did!!

The Sixth instalment of the Mission Impossible Series has proved to be a summer banger at the box office, earning its spot as the eighth highest grossing film of 2018.With unexpected twists and exhilarating actions scenes that are gorgeously terrifying, it’s a no brainer that moviegoers are not worthy of such a film that promises us with the weaving of great technical elements and brilliant cinematography.

Unlike narratives that spend a considerable time in building the story to the audience, the films immediately begins with a rough and broken syndicate known as the “Apostles”, with the belief that the greater the suffering they unleash on Earth, the better the peace that will follow.In order to unleash destruction, they had been working with someone in the IMF to gain access to three cylinders of weapon-grade plutonium, capable of creating three nuclear bombs.This marks the entry of Hunt(Tom Cruise) whose sole mission is to retrieve the plutonium and prevent mass destruction.Hunt is tasked by his boss Huntley (Alec Baldwin) to go to Paris before the source in the IMF purchases the plutonium however faces a challenge when he is given a partner by Sloan(Angela Bassett) who is convinced that Hunt is not the right man and hence enters the antagonist August Walker(Henry Cavill).The director of the film, McQuarrie has also embedded hidden meanings throughout the plot of the film and makes us wander whether we are Hunt( who is protective of everything he loves) or the total opposite like Walker.Along with the stunts which include the famous Helicopter battle at the climax of this film, McQuarrie has ensured that we are able to feel the spatialness and experience the actions of the characters.

Overall, Mission Impossible: Fallout is a promising film that promises the essentials of a big-budget action film and so much more.